1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to power plants for vehicles such as automobiles and more particularly to a vehicular power plant of the kind having an engine and a transmission which are joined to constitute a single unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of a prior art vehicular power plant of the above described kind is disclosed in "KAWASAKI KZ1300 Service Manual 5th Edition", page 109, published by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. on Aug. 9, 1985 and also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a power plant includes an engine 50 and a transmission 52 which are connected in parallel to constitute a single unit. Power of the engine 50 is transferred to the transmission 52 through a chain 54 interconnecting a crankshaft sprocket 56 and an idler sprocket 58 which are respectively installed on a crankshaft 60 and an intermediate shaft 62 and through a chain 64 interconnecting an idler sprocket 66 and an input sprocket 68 which are respectively installed on the intermediate shaft 62 and an input shaft 70. The crankshaft 60, intermediate shaft 62 and input shaft 70 is journalled in bearing bores or saddles 72 formed in the lower surface of a cylinder block 74 and bearing caps 76 formed in the upper surface of a transmission casing 78.
With the prior art power plant, the crankshaft 60, intermediate shaft 62 and input shaft 70 are journalled at the joint between the cylinder block 74 and transmission casing 78. Due to this, in assembly of the power plant, it is necessary to install the cylinder block 74 on the transmission casing 78 while holding the crankshaft 60 around which the chain 54 is placed together with the cylinder block 74, and it is also necessary, at the time of fastening the cylinder block 74 to the transmission casing 78, to install the intermediate shaft 62 and input shaft 70 in position while placing the chain 64 around them. This results in a difficult assembly operation and therefore a long assembling time of the power plant.
On the contrary, upon removal of the engine 50 or transmission 52 for its service, it is necessary to remove the intermediate shaft 62, input shaft 70 and chains 54, 64. As a result, it takes a considerable time to have the engine 50 or transmission 52 checked and serviced. Furthermore, the service work of the engine 50 or transmission 52 cannot be done with ease due to a number of constitutent parts which are inevitably removed upon removal of the engine 50 or transmission 52.